Lunch had been served in Lady Mildred’s own sitting-room, for she was
reluctant to meet her husband until she saw her way more clearly. It
was an unusual state of mind, this indecision and rapid change of
feeling, for at one moment she felt that the only thing that mattered
was the love of her husband, and then she would remember that terrible
evening of the Congo meeting, when he had spoken words that had caused
her to turn from him with loathing.
From the day of their engagement she had realized that there were
hidden depths in his character, and often she was conscious of a fear
of him that disturbed her strangely. That morning she had read in
the paper an account of the speech which he had made on the previous
evening, and it was evident that he was in deadly earnest in his
intention to continue the crusade. And had she not encouraged him?
Yes, and almost immediately afterwards implored him to give it up and
take her away in the yacht. His motive perplexed her; it was difficult
to imagine that his whole character could have been revolutionized so
suddenly.
“I believe it is through the influence of Mr. Drake, and I hate him for
it,” she said vindictively.
Her reverie was disturbed by the entrance of her sister.
“John wants to know if you are unwell,” Lady Ethel stated and sat down
although she saw that her presence was unwelcome.
“I am not ill, but I wished to be alone,” Lady Mildred answered coldly.
She was conscious that her sister was regarding her with a curious
direct look, and the color came to her cheeks.
“Does that remark apply to me? If so I will go, for Captain Drake wants
me to play a game of billiards,” Lady Ethel answered quietly.
“You may stay,” was the impatient answer.
“Thank you; and now I will exercise a sisterly privilege and give
you a little plain talk. I am growing very fond of John, and I must
confess that I am rather sorry for him. It appears to me that you are
playing rather a dangerous game with him. The poor man is madly in love
with you, but I think that he has just about reached the end of his
patience. I wonder if you would mind telling me if you really care for
him—or——”
“I think that is rather beyond even a sisterly privilege,” Lady
Mildred answered distantly. “Wouldn’t it be wiser to pay a little more
attention to your own affairs, and leave me to manage my own? There
are two men who are madly in love with you, and you flirt with them
outrageously. Yet you tell _me_ that I am playing a dangerous game.”
“I suppose you mean Mr. Drake and his brother?” Lady Ethel replied
calmly. “I quite admit that I have flirted with Captain Drake, but as
to the parson——”
“Well?”
“Parsons aren’t exactly in my line,” she continued recklessly. “I think
Captain Drake is charming, so refreshing after all the stupid people
that one meets every day.”
“Doubtless he is charming, but very poor.”
“And what of that?” Lady Ethel asked defiantly.
“Nothing, unless you mean to marry him. You are like myself, hardly the
kind of woman to live in comparative poverty. Of course John would make
a good settlement, when you——”
“John can wait till he is asked. I certainly should never think of
accepting anything from a man who is being treated so badly by my
sister.”
“Ethel, you are impertinent,” Lady Mildred replied angrily.
“Perhaps so, but I was only paying you back in your own coin. But don’t
let us quarrel, dear. I can see that John is utterly miserable, and you
don’t strike me as being a very happy woman. Ah, here is ‘King Baby.’
Give him to me, nurse,” Lady Ethel cried eagerly and held out her arms.
The nurse retired, and Lady Mildred watched her sister as she held the
child in her arms, crooning the while a lullaby.
“Mildred, you ought to be the happiest woman in the world. You’ve a
husband who adores you, and this mite of humanity. I would give my soul
to have such a wee little thing clutching at me and knowing that it was
mine,” Lady Ethel said impulsively.
“You are right, dear. I ought to be happy, yet I am utterly miserable.
Give me the baby.”
And if the fashionable world could have seen Lady Mildred take the
child in her arms with the love-light of a mother in her eyes, they
would have wondered greatly.
Tears glistened on her lashes, and her bosom rose and fell quickly. She
was crying quietly and could have given no reason why she wept, for
knowledge had not yet come. But Lady Ethel knew, and would have spoken
but instinct bade her keep silent; so she crossed over, and gently
kissed her sister.
“Let us send for nurse to take baby and we will go down-stairs. They
are all in the library,” she said gently, and Lady Mildred did not
resist.
They walked arm in arm down the broad staircase, and Lady Ethel
whispered earnestly.
“Dearest, be yourself to John. Let him see what is in your heart and
all will be right. I am much younger than you, but I think that I am
wiser; for I have learned that there is only one thing in the world
that matters—love,” she said softly.
“Do you care for Captain Drake?”
But Lady Ethel only smiled, yet there was a flush on her face when they
entered the library.
“Where is Mr. Gaunt?” she asked quickly.
“He has gone into the City and won’t be back until dinner time,” Edward
Drake answered.
“Won’t you come and play the promised game of billiards?” his brother
asked eagerly.
“Yes, and Mr. Drake can mark for us. Come along, Mildred,” Lady Ethel
cried peremptorily, and her sister followed obediently.
And the room rang with merry laughter, but Edward Drake was very quiet,
only now and then exchanging a remark with Lady Mildred. He watched
his brother and Lady Ethel, and it seemed to him that they might have
been made for one another, with their good looks and high spirits.
Yes, there was jealousy in his heart, but he had thrust it down with
all his strength, and believed that he would rejoice in his brother’s
happiness. Not for a moment did he imagine that this happy girl
could so encourage Lindsay’s attentions if she did not care for him.
Unworldly, it did not occur to him that lack of money might prove to
be an unsurmountable obstacle to _their_ marriage. Their family was as
good as any in the land—sound stock, descending from the Francis Drake
that had made the land ring with his fame in the days of the Armada.
And yet he loved Lady Ethel with all the strength and passion of the
reserved man who conceals his feelings. A faint sigh escaped him,
and Lady Mildred looked up; but she made no remark when she saw the
expression in his eyes as they eagerly followed her sister.
A footman entered and approached Lady Mildred.
“Baron de Croiseuil wishes to see your ladyship,” he announced.
Lady Mildred uttered an exclamation of surprise as she rose from her
seat.
“I did not know that he was in England. I wonder what he wants? Take
him to the drawing-room, James,” she said and walked towards the door.
But Edward Drake interrupted her quickly.
“Please let me see the Baron for you,” he said nervously.
She stared at him in astonishment, for she deemed his request an
impertinence.
“I will see him myself. Some time ago I knew him rather well,” she
answered coldly.
“Please let me see him, Lady Mildred. Perhaps I can guess why he has
come and——”
“Pray finish what you have to say,” she cried when he hesitated.
“And I think that it would be wiser if I went to him. I speak as your
husband’s friend,” he cried imploringly.
“You speak very strangely, Mr. Drake. Please let me pass.”
He realized that it was useless to insist further, and uttering an
exclamation of disappointment, drew back. If Edward Drake had had a
greater knowledge of the feminine character, he would have understood
that he had taken the very course to make Lady Mildred see the Baron,
for he had succeeded in arousing her curiosity.
The Baron was already in the drawing-room, and hastened forward to
greet her, a pleasant smile on his face.
“It is a pleasure to meet you once more, Lady Mildred. It has always
been a great regret that I was not able to be present at your marriage,
especially as Mr. Gaunt was once a great friend of mine,” he said
effusively.
“I was not aware of the friendship,” she answered quietly.
“Yes. In the days when we were in the Congo. In fact, I was one of the
first to meet your husband when he arrived, and I think I helped him to
success.”
“My husband does not talk much to me about those days.”
“It is a pity that he does not carry out the same rule with regard to
the rest of the world. Of course you know of these speeches he has been
making?” the Baron remarked casually.
“I was present at the first of them. Now I think I understand the
reason of your call. It was not entirely for the pleasure of seeing
me,” she said quickly.
“You are right, Lady Mildred, but it was from a friendly feeling
towards yourself. I have very pleasant recollections of our former
friendship.”
“Our relations scarcely amounted to friendship,” she interrupted him.
“That is an unkind remark, but I forgive it. Still, my feelings towards
you are those of a friend. _Helas!_ they would have been different had
I been a younger man.”
She flushed angrily, for compliments she detested, but she remained
silent.
“I have called to see if it is not possible to prevent a state of
affairs from arising that will be extremely distasteful to you.”
“You are very kind. But please explain.”
“You know that my interests are closely bound up with the Congo? The
speeches that your husband is making are injuring my interests, and
they must stop immediately. If they do not, I fear that Mr. Gaunt
and incidentally yourself will suffer. I implore you to use all your
influence with him, Lady Mildred,” he said earnestly.
“In what way will my husband suffer?” she asked calmly, but there was
an angry light in her eyes that he did not perceive.
“It is a delicate matter, and I hate even to hint at it; but it is
for your sake, and I will only say that there are many things in your
husband’s past that will not bear the light of day. For my part I
should do my best to keep them secret, but unfortunately there are
others.”
Again that expressive shrug of the shoulders.
Lady Mildred crossed the room and pressed the button of the bell.
“It is for your sake, Lady Mildred, and——”
The footman came in and Lady Mildred turned to him.
“Please show this gentleman from the house, and in the future I am not
at home to him.”
As she spoke she moved away, and her face was eloquent of contempt.
The Baron hesitated and then, with a final shrug, left the room without
saying another word, for he recognized that he was defeated.